A time of big changes for La Réunion Roland Garros Airport

By the end of the first half of 2017, the circuit from the check-in desk to the departure lounge will have been completely revamped, with police and security checkpoints located on level 2 in the future. The airport will thus handle departures and arrivals on two separate floors, to optimise passenger flow and lead customers to take a fresh look at hospitality and comfort in the airport. The new circuit will significantly cut waiting times in particular. It will also be optimised to increase the airport's handling capacity, giving it all the space needed to welcome the three million passengers provided for in the strategic airport development plan in 2025, while meeting the highest international airport standards.

As soon as the new circuit is in operation, passengers and accompanying visitors will be greeted by an expanded range of shops and restaurants, thanks to the arrival of new client businesses: the NEWREST group, a world-renowned expert in the airport industry, and the group consisting of LAGARDERE TRAVEL RETAIL and SERVAIR, who have teamed up to offer international and local boutique and store concepts exclusively for La Réunion Roland Garros Airport. Starting next year, the international brand ILLY will appear alongside the Réunion food service leader LE CAP MECHANT, as well as the bar and restaurant chain DODO TO GO and the ISAUTIER Distillery. For boutique shopping, the PARDON! label will have a lovely outlet in the duty-free area and the "MARCHE PEI" will have a great exhibition of local flavours in a very colourful store. Passengers looking for relaxation and leisure will find the first ever FNAC corner in an airport duty-free store, while the RELAY shops will provide books, newspapers and magazines.

Starting in mid-2017, passengers in the departure area will be able to discover a new concept which is taking the airport world by storm, developed by AELIA DUTY FREE: a large “walk through” of duty-free shops, in other words a shopping mall covering 650 m2 between the security checkpoints and the departure lounge. The latter area will also have its own shops and restaurants. Passengers in arrivals have not been forgotten either, for duty-free outlets will now also be available in the baggage reclaim area. The area open to the general public will also have its fair share of shops and restaurants, offering a wide range of options to encourage people to experience the airport in a whole new way. More than just a place of transition between sky and land, the airport will have many attractions to help it become a pleasant, comfortable and appealing meeting place.

The changes that are due to take place in the coming months will accompany a general makeover of the airport. The infrastructure will show a new face to the world, both modern and authentic, reflecting our island’s image in order to create an experience with a “sense of place”. This will support the idea that “The journey begins here”, at La Réunion Roland Garros Airport.